Life Care Centers of America announces retirement of Beecher Hunter, Todd Fletcher as successor
Beecher Hunter, president of Cleveland, TN-based Life Care Centers of America since 2006, is retiring and will be succeeded by Todd Fletcher, vice president of Western Division Operations for Life Care, the company announced.
The transition will occur Nov. 2. Hunter will continue in an advisory and support role until Dec. 31.
Hunter caps a 34-year career, having joined the company in 1986 as vice president of communications after 20 years with the Cleveland Daily Banner.
A 1961 graduate of Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN, with an undergraduate degree in English, in 1962 Hunter accepted a job as news and wire editor of the Banner, where he was promoted to editor in 1973.
Fletcher’s service in the industry began in 1990, when he was named executive director of Rimrock Villa Convalescent Hospital in Barstow, CA.
As vice president of Western Division operations, Fletcher has had responsibility for 84 skilled nursing facilities in three of Life Care’s divisions: Northwest, Mountain states and Southwest.
A 1989 graduate of Walla Walla University in College Place, WA, with an undergraduate degree in business administration, Fletcher went on to Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, TN, to earn a degree in long-term healthcare management.
His career includes an appointment as executive director of La Habra Convalescent Hospital in La Habra, CA, and later Life Care Center of Bothell and Cottesmore of Life Care, both in Washington state. He was a senior executive director, regional vice president and vice president of the Northwest Division before becoming leader of Western Division operations.
Christian Living Communities names future CEO, Jill Vitale-Aussem
Jill Vitale-Aussem has been named the future president and CEO at Denver-based Christian Living Communities.
She will succeed Terry Rogers, who announced his departure in February. Vitale-Aussem officially will assume her new role Nov. 16.
Vitale-Aussem has more than 20 years of leadership experience in senior living and service, having served the past two years as president and CEO of The Eden Alternative. Prior to The Eden Alternative, she worked for Christian Living Communities as both an executive director at Clermont Park in Denver and vice president of operations for Cappella Living Solutions, the consulting and management division of CLC.
She also is author of “Disrupting the Status Quo of Senior Living: A Mindshift.”
Regional Health Properties names Ben Waites as chief financial officer, VP
Ben Waites has been named chief financial officer and vice president at Regional Health Properties, a self-managed healthcare real estate investment company in Suwanee, GA. In this role, he will help lead the company’s efforts to drive value through strategic focus, team development, and operational and financial excellence. He will report directly to Brent Morrison, Retinol Health Properties’ CEO and president.
Most recently, Waites spent 10 years as vice president of finance and assistant treasurer for Cajun Operating Co. In this role, he refinanced the organization’s debt, realizing more than $8 million in annual interest savings and restructured all bank relationships.
He previously spent two years as chief accounting officer at Lavie Healthcare and 11 years at RARE Hospitality. In these positions, Waites developed and led financial teams that supported their domestic and international growth platforms, and he was instrumental in a variety of strategic and capital transactions. He also led efforts to significantly reduce costs and improve organizational efficiency, according to RHE.
Waites began his career in public accounting, with positions in both the entrepreneurial services group and audit department of Ernst & Young. He graduated from Harding University and is a Georgia CPA.
Covenant Living names CFO, SVP of community operations
Jeannie Justie has been appointed chief financial officer, and Amy LaCroix has been named senior vice president of community operations, Covenant Living Communities and Services, a non-profit, faith-based senior living organization headquartered in Skokie, IL.
Justie comes to Covenant Living with more than 20 years of experience in healthcare finance, having most recently worked for a Chicago-area health system with 19 hospitals. In her new role, she will work with senior leadership in the areas of organizational and financial strategy, financial management, planning, analysis and operations.
Justie is a CPA and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
LaCroix joins Covenant Living with almost 20 years of experience in the field of senior living and has worked in healthcare and in assisted living, memory care and continuing care retirement communities. She most recently worked for a large senior living organization with seven communities in six states as a regional operations director.
In her new role, LaCroix will work closely with senior leaders in operations, human resources, sales, marketing and communications, health services strategy, project development, information technology and financial services.
She earned her undergraduate degree in health administration from the University of South Dakota and an MBA form the University of Phoenix.
Bishop Gadsden welcomes Aaron Roop as vice president of operations
Aaron Roop has been announced as vice president of operations at Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, a life plan community in Charleston, SC.
Roop joins the team from Asbury Place in Kingsport, TN, where he spent three years as executive director of the life plan community.
His career in senior living includes experience in operations, repositioning and renovations. He spearheaded statewide operations for Asbury at Home and was the administrator of the 180-bed Parham Healthcare & Rehabilitation in Richmond, VA.
Solvere Living promotes Lorie Dancy to chief wellness and compliance officer
Lorie Dancy has been promoted to chief wellness and compliance officer at Solvere Living, a management operations senior living company in St. Petersburg, FL.
Dancy is a nurse practitioner with more than 30 years of nursing experience and more than 20 years of experience in the senior living industry. In her new position, she will be responsible for Solvere Livng’s wellness and clinical programs, quality assurance programs, regulatory and licensing, and policies and procedures related to company compliance.
Dancy has been with Solvere Living for six years. She has led research and value-based initiatives, including developing the Valeo memory care program, implementing a clinical care and assessment platform, and creating an engagement tool to better communicate with families.
Before Solvere Living, Dancy oversaw the clinical operations for multiple Brookdale Senior Living communities and worked as a dementia care trainer for existing and startup memory care communities. While at Atria Senior Living, she worked with a team of experts to develop a national quality assurance program.
Dancy has worked as a consultant to senior housing investors, including Nationwide Health Properties and Ventas, following Sarbanes-Oxley legislation and RIDEA. She has assisted in risk mitigation by observing and influencing quality assurance measures.
Blake Management Group announces two appointments in operations
Morgan Walter has been promoted to area director of operations for Mississippi, and Michell Boksa has been promoted to regional vice president of operations for the Palmetto region for Blake Management Group.
For the past two years, Walter has been the executive director at The Blake at Oxford. She will continue to lead the Oxford team while also supporting sister communities in Mississippi.
Boksa has worn many hats over the course of her career, most recently serving as the vice president of compliance and quality assurance. She has worked for Blake for the past four years.
WesleyLife appoints Matt Garcia regional director of campus operations
Matt Garcia has WesleyLife as regional director of campus operations, a new position, at WesleyLife, Johnston, IA.
In this role, he will be responsible for a segment of WesleyLife’s operations, in eastern Iowa and western Illinois, managing the geographic health and well-being networks under his leadership to ensure a consistent focus on mission and vision, engaged person-centered environment, consistent hospitality and customer-centered experiences.
Garcia brings 25 years of healthcare and aging services expertise to the position, having served as chief operating officer and administrator of Bishop Drumm Retirement Center and Iowa division director for Catholic Health Initiatives. Most recently, he was Central Iowa operations officer and chief people development officer for Western Home Services, in charge of eight sites throughout Iowa.
Garcia is a PRN member of the Department of Management faculty at the University of Northern Iowa.
United Methodist Communities promotes two
Pamela Garofolo and Deborah Walsh have been promoted at United Methodist Communities, Neptune, NJ.
Garofolo, promoted to corporate director of the Tapestries memory care program, continues to provide resources and oversight to the Tapestries programing at all UMC sites, including HomeWorks. She also will lead the community life cohort affecting resident experience.
Garofolo joined UMC in 2008 as director of memory support at The Shores in Ocean City, MD. Since then, she has developed and refined UMC’s memory care program.
Garofolo holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology and is a nationally certified counselor, certified assisted living administrator and nationally certified dementia practitioner. She began working with individuals with dementia and related neurocognitive disorders in 1994.
Walsh has been promoted to corporate director of homecare services and oversees HomeWorks as well as initiatives related to homecare products, such as technologies, care management and other in-home support services. Wash has worked for UMN since the home care division began in 2016.
A graduate of Saint Clare’s School of Nursing, Walsh brings more than 20 years of experience in nursing, rehabilitation, home care and family services. In addition to registered nurse licensure in New York and New Jersey, she holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Baruch College and an undergraduate degree in healthcare management from Long Island University.
Walsh’s administrative experience includes positions as an intake supervisor, director of patient services, quality director and marketing director.
Cypress Place Senior Living announces new executive director, associate executive director
Gina Salman is the new executive director, and Colleen Webb is the new associate executive director, at Cypress Place, a Meridian Senior Living community in Ventura, CA.
Salman brings both marketing and executive leadership skills to Cypress Place. With more than seven years of experience in the healthcare field, her expertise includes healthcare administration and marketing for large-scale facilities supporting independent living, assisted living and memory care.
Salman also is a certified senior adviser and certified dementia practitioner, and she earned a resident care for the elderly certification. She has an undergraduate degree in marketing from Northern Illinois University.
Before her appointment as associate executive director, Webb spent eight years as the senior business office director at Cypress Place. She brings 14 years of management and financial experience to the position. She held positions at healthcare organizations, including customer service representative, marketing associate, database manager, engineering office coordinator, accounts payable representative and payroll associate.
Webb’s set of skills and achievements include managing two senior facilities simultaneously while maintaining 90% occupancy and consistently achieving an accounts receivable aging of zero to less than 1% over eight years.
Webb holds a business in human resources management degree from California Polytechnic Universityin San Luis Obispo, CA.
Arbors of Hop Brook appoints Anne Burns as controller
Anne M. Burns has been named controller at Arbors of Hop Brook, a continuing care retirement community in Manchester, CT
Burns’ career spans more than 30 years of accounting experience and includes multiple roles in serving older adults through family caregiving, skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies.
Before joining Arbors of Hop Brook, Burns served the Rideshare Co. for 12 years as chief opening officer and chief financial officer, overseeing the accounting, financial reporting and customer service areas. She served as the CFO of New Samaritan Corporation and Elderly Housing Management for 10 years.
Burns is a licensed CPA in Connecticut and has an undergraduate degree in accounting from Central Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in human development/gerontology from University of St. Joseph.
Retirement Unlimited Inc. names Brennen Glover as talent acquisition specialist
Retirement Unlimited Inc., a Virginia family-owned and operated senior living community management company, has named Brennen Glover as talent acquisition specialist.
Glover is responsible for using various platforms and methodologies in driving recruitment efforts at RUI. Glover brings more than six years of recruitment experience and relationships in Virginia.
Glover earned his undergraduate degree in government at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA.
The Blake at Hollingsworth Park appoints director of business operations
Melissa Stemple has been appointed director of business operations at The Blake at Hollingsworth Park of Greenville, SC.
Stemple brings more than 23 years of experience in the senior living industry to the role, having worked in independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing.
Timber Ridge at Talus names Diane Mortenson director of community life services
Diane Mortenson has been named director of community life services at life plan community Timber Ridge at Talus in Issaquah, WA. She will manage a wide variety of life enrichment activities for residents, including programming, special events and transportation services.
A 25-year veteran in community and recreation services, Mortenson previously served the city of Mercer Island in Washington state, holding a variety of roles managing recreation, health and wellness, social services, and community engagement activities.
Mortenson earned her undergraduate degree in recreation management from Washington State University.
Orchards Health Center names new medical director
Melissa Siew, M.D., a specialist in internal medicine, has been named medical director for The Orchards Health Center in Rancho Mission Viejo, CA. She will be responsible for overseeing the medical care for the health center’s assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing residents.
As medical director, Siew will partner with The Orchards to provide resident care and staff training. She will act as a liaison between administration and attending physicians and be responsible for reviewing and evaluating administrative and patient care policies.
Siew is a member of the Ohana Physicians Cooperative in Laguna Beach, CA, with hospital affiliations and privileges at two hospitals.
After graduating from Columbia University’s post-baccalaureate premedical program, Siew earned her medical degree from St. George’s University in Grenada and completed her residency at Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and an international finance degree from Karl Marx University of Economic sciences in Budapest, Hungary.
The Orchards is scheduled to open its assisted living and memory care community in early October.
Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care announces dining appointments
Jamie Kluz has been named director of food service at Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care, the primary charity of the Chicago Scots in North Riverside, IL.
Kluz has experience at Boka, Graham Elliot and the Peninsula Hotel, most recently working for Lettuce Entertain You.
The organization also promoted Beth Tuk, a 14-year veteran at Caledonia, to the position of pastry chef. With this promotion, the team plans to offer more fresh, home baked goods.
Park Springs adds Walter Moser, Marcus Walden
Food and Beverage Director Walter Moser and Executive Chef Marcus Walden have joined Park Springs, a life plan community in Stone Mountain, GA. The duo are drawing on their fine dining, luxury hotel and resort spa experience to revamp food and beverage offerings.
As food and beverage director, Moser will oversee all aspects of daily food and beverage operations, including six distinct dining venues, meal delivery, catering and special events.
With more than 25 years of luxury hospitality industry experience at exclusive West Coast resorts and spas, such as the Hilton Resort and Spa in San Diego, The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, and Lowes Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado, CA, Moser plans to add more options to the menu to accommodate various food preferences.
Walden’s career spans almost 25 years, including time as a chef at Disney Springs in Orlando, FL, a corporate chef in Gulf Shores, AL, and most recently a corporate executive chef at Legacy Partners, where he oversaw five restaurants in Atlanta.
He received his chef’s training at The Culinary Institute of America.
OdessaConnect hires Jessica Heck as chief business development officer
Jessica Heck has joined OdessaConnect (previously myFamilyChannel) as chief business development officer.
She is leading the rebranding of the company in an effort to better reflect its suite of products designed to help senior living operators enhance resident, staff and family communication; increase and maintain census; increase efficiency; better manage labor; and increase resident engagement.
Heck joins the team with almost a decade of experience in the senior living industry, including positions at Atria Senior Living and Elmcroft Senior Living and Milestone before rising to the position of chief strategy officer at Blake Management Group.
She serves on the board of the Kentucky Senior Living Association as chair of the Education committee and is an Argentum ambassador.
Health Dimensions Group names Michael Edwin vice president of consulting services
Michael Edwin has been named vice president of consulting services at Minneapolis-based post-acute, long-term care and senior living consulting and management firm Health Dimensions Group.
Edwin brings 20 years of healthcare consulting experience to the position. Prior to joining HDG, he was a director of the senior living and healthcare practice at Wipfli, where he led a strategic planning and market analysis team that advised senior living and religious organizations on strategic decisions.
Edwin has published many articles addressing trends and issues in the senior living and care industry. He also has served in leadership roles for academic boards and professional associations focused on the senior living and care continuum, including as board president of the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association and advisory board member of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Center for Health Administration and Aging Services Excellence.
Edwin earned his undergraduate degree from Minnesota State University-Mankato and his MBA form Edgewood College in Madison, WI. He is a member of the American Seniors Housing Association, Argentum and LeadingAge, among other professional organizations.
Carely acquires Ro & Steve, appoints Matt Perrin as head of growth
Carely, which provides tools to help enhance the caregiving experience, has acquired online senior living and care review sites Ro & Steve. As a result of the acquisition, Ro & Steve founder Matt Perrin has joined Carely’s leadership team as head of growth.
In his new role, Perrin will oversee the company’s sales and partner-relationship activities as well as drive market share growth for both the Carely Family and Carely Community as across the long-term care industry.
The Carely brand includes a free app for caregivers and a platform tool for care providers to enable staff to send text and photo updates to individuals families, as well as share community-wide announcements. The provider platform, Carely Community, is integrated with EMR services, such as PointClickCare, in an effort to streamline communication processes. Additionally, the company recently announced the acquisition of Caregiving.com.
Molly McShane named CEO of The McShane Companies
Molly McShane has been appointed CEO of national real estate development and construction services provider The McShane Companies, effective Oct. 1. She previously was chief operating officer.
Since joining the company in 2002, McShane has spearheaded strategic initiatives across its portfolio of services, most notably its expansion into new geographic markets and a conscious effort to create a diverse workplace. During her tenure as COO, the organization posted record growth, according to The McShane Companies.
Before serving as COO, McShane was chief investment officer and the first woman to rise to C-suite leadership in the firm’s history.
McShane earned an undergraduate degree in marketing from Boston College and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
SmartLinx appoints new senior executive to lead marketing efforts
Don Keane has been appointed senior vice president of marketing at workforce management solutions provider SmartLinx Solutions. He will work to expand the Iselin, NJ-based company’s market presence.
Keane has spent more than 25 year building out marketing functions in technology companies, including SaaS providers. His expertise includes digital marketing strategy, demand generation, public relations, brand strategy and marketing operations.
Carey Hendrickson named CFO of U.S. Physical Therapy
U.S. Physical Therapy of Houston, a national operator of outpatient physical therapy clinics, has announced that Carey Hendrickson, chief financial officer at Capital Senior Living, will succeed retiring Larry McAfee as the company’s CFO, effective Nov. 9.
Hendrickson has been Capital’s CFO since 2014. Before that, he was CFO of Belo Corp., a television company that owned and operated network-affiliated television stations and their associated website. At Belo, he also was senior vice president/chief accounting officer, vice president/human resources, vice president/investor relations and corporate communications, and vice president/strategic and financial planning.
Hendrickson began his career with KPMG LLP and also formerly was the director of financial planning for Republic Financial Services.
Hendrickson earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from Baylor University and an MBA in finance from the University of Texas in Arlington.
Capital Senior Living recently announced his impending departure.
